Hobby Master Archive

Hobby Master 1/32 PREMIUM COLLECTION Air Power Series HA0202 Douglas SBD 5, VSMB-231, “Ace of Spades” Major Glidden, Marshall Islands, 1944 LIMITED EDITION ONLY 750 PIECES

THESE PICTURES ARE PRE-PRODUCTION PICTURES

Premium Collection 1/32 Scale airplanes Limited Edition only 750 world-wide Features Movable rear gun Working dive brakes, rudder & ailerons Engine cowling can be removed Rotating metal propeller Sliding canopy Retractable undercarriage Rolling wheels Movable centerline bomb rack Bombs under each wing Realistic looking crew L - 12.4 in (315mm) W - 15.75 in (400mm) H - 4.8 in (122mm) Weight - 1.98 lb (900g)

The SBD was considered out-dated and the US had planned to replace the Dauntless but the attack on Pearl Harbor changed all that. By the end of WWII the SBD had become one of the most famous dive-bombers ever built. Even though the SB2C Helldiver was slowly replacing the Dauntless it continued to play a significant role in the major battles of the Pacific. The final large action for the SBD was the Battle of the Philippine Sea in 1944. By the end of production 5, 936 Dauntless had been manufactured.

VMSB-231 nicknamed the “Ace of Spades” had the oldest insignia in the Marine Corps dating back to WWI. Based in the Marshall Islands from 1944 - 45 the squadron operated from Majuro Atoll. Their mission was to bomb the smaller islands in the chain that had initially been by-passed. Maj. Elmer Glidden and M/Sgt James Boyle flew SBD- 5 “White 1”. Major Glidden was the services leading dive-bomber pilot having flown SBD' s at Midway and Guadalcanal. On Majuro he flew another 77 combat dives for a war total of 104.

Specifications Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless Wing Span: 41' 6" Length: 33' 1" Height: 13' 7"

Power Plant: 1 X Wright R-1820-60 Horsepower: 1,200 Fuel Capacity: 310 gallons Max Speed: 255 mph Gross Weight: 10,700 lbs Armament: 2 x .50 caliber forward-firing machine guns, 2 x 0.3 in (7.62 mm) flexible- mounted machine guns, 2,250 lb (1,020 kg) of bombs.